Latin American countries join reserves to create vast marine protected area

'Mega-MPA' in Pacific will link waters of Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica to protect migratory turtles, whales and sharks from fishing fleetsFour Pacific-facing Latin American nations have committed to joining their marine reserves to form one interconnected area, creating one of the world's richest pockets of ocean biodiversity.Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica announced on Tuesday the creation of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) initiative, which would both join and increase the size of their protected territorial waters to create a fishing-free corridor covering more than 500,000 sq km (200,000 sq miles) in one of the world's most important migratory routes for sea turtles, whales, sharks and rays. Continue reading...